The Town of Chapin continues to push to sell the old Chapin High School and develop the land into a future economic hub.

After taking in a presentation from Nichole Burroughs, the town’s director of public affairs, at its regularly scheduled meeting on Dec. 13, the Lexington-Richland District 5 school board voted to give the town 16 months to do a feasibility study on selling the property at 107 Columbia Ave., with the caveat that if the district receives a legitimate offer, the town has 90 days to react.

“The town is lacking a traditional town center and central gathering space for residents, businesses and visitors,” Burroughs said in her presentation.

The town could use the land to build a theater and a town center as part of the new development, Burroughs explained. In addition, the school district’s master plan includes the construction of an arts center on the property.

“We as a board have a fiduciary duty to get the land appraised and sold for the good of the whole district,” School Board Chair Jan Hammond told the Chronicle.

While the town is looking to address its own needs, the board is focused on how the money generated could help better its other facilities.

“The District has extreme needs at Nursery Road Elementary, Harbison West, and other immediate maintenance needs in the other schools in the District,” said Ken Loveless, vice chairman of the Lexington-Richland 5 School Board.

The board has already approved building a new east wing at Irmo High School. The new Chapin High School, located on Columbia Avenue about a mile east of the old campus, was completed in 2015.

“These needs in older schools are not new issues, and the current board is addressing these needs,” Loveless said.

Hammond, the board chair, emphasized the importance of including the Town of Chapin as progress continues on plans for the old high school.

“Chapin is an integral part of District 5, and we look forward to any way we can work with the town,” she said. “We as a board would take into consideration a potential buyer’s development plans to see if it fit into the vision of the Town of Chapin and its betterment.”